Search

Follow Blog via Email

Oscars: Makeup and Hairstyling

It is mostly due to Rick Baker that makeup and hairstyling are a part of the Academy Awards, though the true origin of makeup artists goes back to William Tuttle and John Chambers in the sixties. It wasn’t until the eighties that the achievements by these gifted artists were fully appreciated. There are normally only three nominees in this category, and this year is no exception. All three of the nominees feature extensive makeup work and truly impressive artwork by the masters behind them.

The nominees for Best Makeup and Hairstyling are:

Darkest Hour – This film features one truly impressive piece of makeup work and its achievement should be appreciated and respected, even if it doesn’t win the award. Kazuhiro Tsuji is the man behind Churchill and his work in creating the elaborate prosthetic used to bring life into this influential figure should be recognized as a truly great achievement.

Victoria & Abdul – This might seem like a less obvious choice to win the award for best makeup, but its achievements are not singular like the other two films in this category. Modifying an entire cast to match the hairstyles and physical appearance of historical figures is a daunting task and it was achieve with great aplomb. Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard deserve full credit for their work.

Wonder – A controversial choice for this category, given the nature of the makeup, which made gave an ordinary child actor a major facial deformity. The mildly offensiveness aside, the achievement in this makeup needs to be appreciated and honored. Arjen Tuiten has accomplished a lot and worked on a number of films and no matter the controversy, his work is truly impressive.